![]() Pitt could have played it so big that he came off as an entitled prick but there's some warmth and passion to Conrad and Pitt gets that across. He's appropriately funny in Conrad's lush and over-the-top behaviour but he garners some genuine sympathy for him when the world turns against him. Brad Pitt's the biggest name and I really enjoyed the work he put in as Jack Conrad. I think every member of the main cast did a fantastic job and it's a credit to them and Chazelle for getting the most out of his performers. ![]() He still attracted some big and interesting names for Babylon. Damien Chazelle has enough of a name now that he could probably get any actor/actress he wanted in his cast. Some characters are meant to be less distinctive (Manny is the audience avatar for example) but while I wish they were a little more fresh, I did want to follow them throughout the length of the movie. I think Babylon is effective at getting those across but I was a little let down that the movie starts so bombastically and then quietly tip toes into conventionality by the end. Conrad and LaRoy are loosely based on a couple of people from that era but the lessons the movie wants to teach us about Hollywood chewing up and spitting out talent are pretty routine. While Babylon is distinctive with its look and pacing, when it comes to the characters, things are a little more familiar. I was hooked from the get-go and for all the movie's flaws, its presentation is vibrant and fast-moving to keep help you entertained. The costuming and sets are dynamic and show how disorganized and tumultuous early Hollywood was. The movie looks fantastic and even if you don't have an interest in this period of cinema, I don't doubt that Babylon will still pull you in. The expression "fever dream" is overused but Babylon is captured in such a chaotic and constantly shifting way that kept me enraptured. I wanted to credit Damien Chazelle and his team for providing a unique experience in regards to pacing, setting and tone. ![]() After an "interesting" opening scene about our main character Manny (Diego Calva) trying to get an elephant up to a party in Bel-Air, Babylon floors the gas pedal and barely comes up for air for the rest of the run time.
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